Control Design

Technology enables OEM access to its machines and the benefits that come with it

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will significantly change the world, predicted Greg Gorbach, vice president, ARC Advisory Group. While his prediction isn't exactly bold or risky, Gorbach and a group of roundtable presenters at ARC Forum 2015 in Orlando, Florida, discussed how IIoT not only will change industry, but often how it's already had an impact.
"What is an Industrial Internet of Things thing?" asked Gorbach. "It's an industrial asset, but it's also a platform for new applications and services. It's part of an econsystem, but it has to be secure."
While reduced machine or asset downtime and more rapid service response are the top two drivers, according to ARC survey results, IIoT also can improve operating performance,…

Should you design I/O systems based on the user's needs or the application's

Enclosureless I/O systems have been available for years, but new installations often still use traditional enclosure-based strategies. This happens despite the fact that a centralized enclosure approach has several downsides. What are some of the…

Reduce Cabinet Space and Wiring

Machine mount — the placing of everything from I/O to PCs directly on factory floor equipment instead of in a cabinet — is increasingly being used. The benefits are less cabinet space and wiring, as well as reduced commissioning time and…

Many end users don't really know what PAC is, or what the differences between PLCs and PACs are. The reality is, OEMs and machine designers need to educate users better.

If asked, "Is there really any difference between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs)," the machine end user will likely answer, "No."
Or that person might ask, "What is a PAC?" You may even get a few…

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Many end users don't really know what PAC is, or what the differences between PLCs and PACs are. The reality is, OEMs and machine designers need to educate users better.

If asked, "Is there really any difference between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs)," the machine end user will likely answer, "No."
Or that person might ask, "What is a PAC?" You may even get a few…

Recent

New Designs Also Allow Use Outside the Control Cabinet

Industrial devices that have intelligence are a hot topic, and power supplies are no exception. According to Mike Garrick, marketing manager for power supplies at Phoenix Contact USA, users expect the capability to network devices that never had…

Current Approaches Automate Automation

Increasing demands on the time and resources of today's engineers mean that modern control software should be designed with efficiency in mind. "Trends in the industry lean toward the ability to automate the automation software, providing engineers the tools to programmatically change the software configuration of a machine, including the actual PLC code. This enables an OEM to automatically configure the machine controller's code to match the machine's actual I/O layout or to modify the software configuration based on the company's orderable machine options, without requiring the efforts of a controls engineer," says Daymon Thompson, TwinCAT product specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
The resulting better use of engineers' time boosts their…

Recent

Current Approaches Automate Automation

Increasing demands on the time and resources of today's engineers mean that modern control software should be designed with efficiency in mind. "Trends in the industry lean toward the ability to automate the automation software, providing engineers the tools to programmatically change the software configuration of a machine, including the actual PLC code. This enables an OEM to automatically configure the machine controller's code to match the machine's actual I/O layout or to modify the software configuration based on the company's orderable machine options, without requiring the efforts of a controls engineer," says Daymon Thompson, TwinCAT product specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
The resulting better use of engineers' time boosts their…

New technologies make it easier to program and integrate FPGAs into your control systems

If you have an application requiring very high-speed control, signal processing or both, then an FPGA may be a better alternative than trying to push a conventional control system architecture too far and too fast. In the past, you'd be faced with…

Researchers Will Demonstrate Feasibility of Using Standardized 3D Models for Electronically Exchanging and Processing Product and Manufacturing Information

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers and their industrial partners have embarked on a Design to Manufacturing and Inspection Project to add a new dimension to manufacturing capabilities. They will demonstrate the feasibility—and benchmark the advantages—of using standardized, 3D models for electronically exchanging and processing product and manufacturing information all the way from design through inspection of the final part, a tightly integrated, seamless string of activities that manufacturers are calling a "digital thread.”
Tom Hedburg, one of the researchers in the project, explains, “What we’re talking about is a 3D drawing with all the product information embedded in it. It’s a way of…

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The winter 2015 rankings of the best product and machine design software published by G2 Crowd is here.

The first Grid report for product and machine design software, published by business software review site G2 Crowd, ranks seven products to help purchasers in their selections.
The Winter 2015 report is based on more than 170 reviews written by business and engineering professionals.
The Grid, which is created from G2 Crowd's software review platform, factors in customer satisfaction reported by users and vendor market presence determined from social and public data to rank products.
Product and machine design software is a subcategory of computer-aided design (CAD) software, targeted specifically toward designers and engineers across a number of disciplines, including manufacturing, product design, automotive, and aerospace. These tools…

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Applied Motion Products launches its first Motion Control Design & Innovation Competition. First place prize is $5,000.

Applied Motion Products launches its first Motion Control Design & Innovation Competition. The competition is open to teams of young engineers primarily university and high school students, robotics and motion control clubs.
Using a $1,000…

Power Transmission Applications Use Lead Screws and Timing Belts, While Motion Control Applications Include High-Precision, Highly Repeatable Systems Equipped With Feedback and Servo Loops

Recall that a main component of a linear motion system is the linear actuator, which can be a pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical device. A good way to think of the various technologies in terms of a particular task is in the application's…

Power Transmission Applications Use Lead Screws and Timing Belts, While Motion Control Applications Include High-Precision, Highly Repeatable Systems Equipped With Feedback and Servo Loops

Recall that a main component of a linear motion system is the linear actuator, which can be a pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical device. A good way to think of the various technologies in terms of a particular task is in the application's…

Recent

Stepper Motors Also Are Simpler to Deal With During the Design Phase of a Project.

Selecting the right stepper motor—or any stepper motor at all—comes down to answering some questions about what's to be moved, how fast to move it and with what precision. After that, other factors such as cost and suitability to a given…

Evolved from exotic add-ons with separate controls to regular-guy devices serving alongside other mainstream machine components using common controls, robots are well-integrated and ready to cooperate

Robots used to be a big deal. Forests of huge yellow, orange and white arms juggled and welded car bodies, and everyone else looked on in awe at their amazing moves and equally huge price tags.
Times have changed, and many robots appear to be…

See the Latest Product Innovations in the Industry

Display of PressureAG200 media-isolated, digital pressure gauge has 4–20 mA output signal and large LCD that can display psi, bar, kg/cm, ATM, inches H20 and Hg measuring units. With a test button, users can evaluate loop current to ensure the system is set up correctly and adjust the current in 2 mA increments. Loop current update rate is 32 times/s; the display updates 3 times/s. American Sensor Technologies973/448-1901www.astsensors.com
Valve DriverD1 PWM Valve Driver is designed to drive and manage proportional valves. It converts proportional command voltage to a -1.1…1.1 A signal to drive the valve’s linear force motor. It works with 12 or 24 Vdc power supply and valve deadband; dither amplitude and maximum current are…

Applied Motion Products launches its first Motion Control Design & Innovation Competition. First place prize is $5,000.

Applied Motion Products launches its first Motion Control Design & Innovation Competition. The competition is open to teams of young engineers primarily university and high school students, robotics and motion control clubs.
Using a $1,000…

How to make sense of the many options available for ensuring accuracy

Our metal stamping machines need to be able to run a variety of parts through the press. Any errors in the coil-change process can be costly. The manual changeover itself is time-consuming, but a damaged press means expensive repairs and lost…

Today's Robots Have 20/20 Vision

Machine vision systems have long played an important role in inspecting, identifying and guiding parts. Current systems provide an increasingly sophisticated integration of machine vision and robotics, boosting the number of automation options that…

Improvements in machine safety have come about due to changes in attitudes and technology

Machine safety has improved exponentially over the past few decades. Automation and technology have played a key role in improving, but there's still work to be done. In December 2014, we conducted an electronic survey to identify usage and…

Proximity Sensors Enable Object Detection to Determine What is Where

To be sure you hit a target, you have to see or somehow sense it. That truth lies behind the theory and practice of presence sensors, which are used to determine whether a box, bottle, piece of metal, or something else is there or not. Armed with…

Would Our Future Workers be Robots or Humans?

What will the next generation of manufacturing workers look like? One thing is certain. These individuals will be able to work with robots — capable of programming them, as well as allowed to interact with them, side by side.
Ntxuzone Yang and…

The safety of your industrial networks is no joke. Are you doing enough to protect your plant, machines and processes from cyber attacks?

With all the latest security breaches and hackers breaking down firewalls to steal information as if hacking was an accepted and recognized global sport, industry leaders are rethinking the safety of their industrial networks.
There's nothing fun…

The upsides and downsides of controller-display combo units.

A combo controller and operator interface can save big compared to separates.
As the miniaturization of electronics continues its relentless march across the personal-consumer-device landscape, it's only natural for it to proceed apace in machine…

Because they've gotten smarter and have additional capabilities, panel meters now can take over some functions previously handled by PLCs. For instance, a panel meter with math capabilities can keep count and shut off a machine after a fixed number…

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The latest report examines a range of topics from the industrialization of the Internet of Things (IoT), to the growth impact of the maker movement.

For over 30 years National Instruments has been monitoring trends across the industry that help engineers and scientists work in an productive environment. The company does this by informing their users of efficient systems that can accelerate productivity, innovation, and discovery.
In 2014, National Instruments published its first NI Trend Watch and they have just releases the 2015 edition.
According to the industry leader, the latest report examines a range of topics from the industrialization of the Internet of Things (IoT), to the growth impact of the maker movement.
" know that future systems will be based on architectures and technologies that may not even exist yet," said Eric Starkloff, NI executive vice president of global sales…

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If a Wireless Industrial Device Needs to Connect to Send a Process Update or Alarm and Can't Though the Signal Appears Strong, the Consequences Could be Severe

Have you ever been on a public Wi-Fi hotspot such as a coffee shop or airport with the signal strength indicator on your mobile device or laptop indicating a nice strong signal but then not being able to log on the network? The likely reason is that…

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No Matter What Type of Switch is Used, It’s Important to Recognize and Account for the Needs of Engineering Staff, Maintenance Personnel and Operators to Access a Machine for Upkeep and Cleaning.

When you've got to stop, you've got to stop. For machine builders, that's usually a job for safety switches. They allow safe access to dangerous machines by putting systems in a harmless state, which could mean cutting off power completely. In selecting a safety switch, it's important to keep in mind frequency and function, according to Roberta Nelson Shea, global marketing manager for Rockwell Automation. For something that needs to be opened only once a year, the best solution likely is to use simple guards, such as by completely encasing the area. More frequent access has to be easier. It's when access is frequent, but not constant that an interlocking safety switch comes into play."You expect somebody needs to get in there at least…

About the Author

Carrots can be deceiving. Sure, they look healthful and harmless, but that tapering cylindrical shape is much harder to handle than a nice round apple or tomato, especially if you’re a production-line machine. Just ask Mike Opperman, instrument and controls designer at Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, Calif., which together with its main competitor produces and processes about 80% of the carrots and related products in the U.S.

In 10 years at Bolthouse, Opperman has helped build 60 to 80 machines that sort, process, and package carrots into an increasingly diverse range of products, especially beverages. Because carrots need special handling, Bolthouse designs and builds many of its own machines, and then organizes them into long production lines. Sensors and I/O devices help these machines sort, peel, wash, trim, cut and weigh the carrots, and then roll out plastic packaging, detect ends and weigh packages. Recently, Bolthouse opened two bottling plants and one salad dressing plant, and these needed production lines and machines, too.

Traditionally, Bolthouse’s machines used hardwired I/O components, and had to run more than 300 points back from hundreds of instruments in massive cable trays to motor control centers and PLC combinations. “As we expanded into more complex processes, beyond motor starts and stops, we had analog and digital signals too, and so we kept expanding the racks as we added more hardware from the field,” says Opperman. “Now, we had 500 to 600 instruments installed, and each had individual wires and connectors. However, even though we were very careful about precisely labeling each, so we wouldn’t need a schematic in the field, we still needed two people to do troubleshooting.”

Opperman says Bolthouse began seeking to revise the increasingly unworkable wiring situation on its machines and network about five years ago. “We starting looking at the labor and material costs, and found that on a typical, smaller, $15,000 machine, we could save $5,000 by doing on-machine wiring with DeviceNet, AS-i, Profibus or a similar protocol. Basically, all the machine’s instruments would just go back to a Turck block on the machine, and then only four wires would go off the machine and back to the PLC. This meant we could save multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of building a larger project such as one of the bottling plants.” These four wires, two for communications and two for power, are usually run in a single cable. This network typically runs at 125 kbps, which gives Bolthouse all the data throughput and reliability it needs.

Tale of Two Bottling Plants

This shift in its networking strategy also occurred between the time Bolthouse built its first juice bottling plant about seven years ago, and when it built its second plant about three years ago. The two plants bottle the same juice products in all container sizes between 350 ml and 2 liters. The first plant consists of a French design, using hardware from Schneider Electric’s Telemecanique division, to run 9,000 bottles per hour. The second is a German design with hardware from B&R and Rockwell Automation that run 15,000 bottles per hour.

“Both plants use distributed I/O systems and there isn’t much difference in the machine-mount I/O at each, but the newer plant’s system is just more compact. The first plant and its machine can do different sizes, but the second one is able to do it easier. For example, the newer machines’ design and software make it easier to do lane changes to shift product,” adds Opperman. “Likewise, using DeviceNet and the other fieldbuses reduces the footprint and impact of our machines, and makes them easier to build. Running wires used to mean we had to get into the tray, and shut down the process. Now, we just run a couple of commissioning cables, and we almost can do it during a regular production break. Also, when we buy from an OEM, we now ask them to integrate their machines with our network. If they’re not prepared to offer a fieldbus, we buy the machine, and custom add it ourselves.”

In addition, Bolthouse recently updated its 12-year-old, three-stage evaporation system that makes concentrated juice. It originally had three rudimentary, closed control loops. However, this was a very operator-intensive process that involved manually adjusting the machine and inputting set-points, which allowed too much latitude and potential for product variance and errors.

“Now, we’re using machine-mount I/O to go with a recipe-based system in the evaporator that’s already in some other Bolthouse machines,” says Opperman. “To follow a recipe, it uses preset algorithms to make changes such as adjusting flow, temperature and pressure. We also have heat exchangers between each stage, and they need flexibility to handle variations between the different vegetables. All the control valves and controls need a wide operating range to manage these differing viscosities. All of these needs are helped by our machine-mount I/O cabling and components.”